


Canopic Jars (Jily AU: Archaeologists)

by andwhisperstalesofmk



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Archaeologist, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Fluff, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), One Shot, Romantic Fluff, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 02:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19898131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andwhisperstalesofmk/pseuds/andwhisperstalesofmk
Summary: Lily Evans and James Potter are archaeology students who have been selected to partake in a dig in Egypt. James can't keep his eyes off of Lily, and Lily sees something in the goofball James that gets her all flustered. There's nothing like a heart in a canopic jar to bring them together.





	Canopic Jars (Jily AU: Archaeologists)

She gathered her hair up off the back of her neck, juggling the red silk back and forth a few times before tying it up, ensuring it was all there. She should have cut it off. All her friends did. They were in the middle of the desert, for gods sakes! But the long red hair was her thing. She didn’t want to get rid of it.

“Evans!” called a voice from behind her.

Her stomach dropped as she heard him call her name, laughing.

“Evans! You hungry?”

She turned to face him, praying her face would not go red, and if it did, that it would look like sunburn.

“It’s only four o’clock, James. We’ve barely done anything yet!” The words came out wishy-washy, though, as she lacked the conviction to follow through with either a sarcastic or a reproachful tone.

“Lord, Evans, you got sunburned today. You’re freckled everywhere now!”

“James, we’re here to work. They’ll throw us out of the dig.”

“Nah, they won’t,” he said, grinning. “These old bones have been in the tomb for thousands of years, they can wait until we have dinner.”

She must have looked unconvinced, because he continued.

“I’m starving. I’m wasting away! Tell my family I love them. Oh, God! It’s a cruel world, a cruel--”

“Oh my god. Fine, yes, let’s go have dinner. But we’re working into the night, then.”

“Won’t you be worried about the mummies coming to life? Won’t it be eerie in the moonlight?”

“I’ll be here to protect you,” she said wryly. She was proud of herself for coming up with it.

And so it was that Lily and James wound up the only two archaeologists who had not yet logged in enough hours for the day by nine p.m. And so it was they had to dig in the dark.

“This is not as fun as I thought,” Lily said, dusting what might be an ancient and valuable vase, but might also be a rock, not far enough unearthed to tell.

“Agreed.”

James was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, digging with a garden trough into the tomb floor.

“I want to go home.” Lily said it before she was even aware she had thought it, and immediately, she wanted to take it back.

“Really?” James asked, brightening.

“Oh, well, no, yes, uh, yes. No, but yes I do, but…”

“I understand,” he said. “I thought it was just me. I mean, I love it here. I love Egypt, and I love these crypts, and this history, but they’re so damned strict all the time, and methodical. I want a real adventure.”

“It just feels so stifling sometimes. And I’m so scared that this will be a dead end career. And I miss my family. My sister wanted to come on this dig, but she wasn’t accepted.”

“It’s not going to be a dead end career for you, Lily. You’re so smart.”

“I’m not that smart. And besides, what if all of the good discoveries have been made already?”

She put down her brush, coming to sit beside him on the floor.

“We have only just started discovering,” said James. He hadn’t moved, but somehow, he seemed closer.

She sat very still, panicked, as he tugged at the bottom of her ponytail. He leaned in, and she opened her mouth to say something flirty.

“I wonder if there are canopic jars in here,” she blurted. James only gave her a crooked look, both pleased and definitely surprised, but she nearly jumped a foot in the air, springing to her feet.

“Shite. Oh God. Oh God, that was not romantic. Oh God, why do I talk? Why?”

He stifled a laugh.

"Oh God, I think you need to go," she said. "I’ll cover the rest of the shift, and do your hours for you. Good night.”

She stood off to the side of the tomb, hands over her face, turned towards the wall.

He waited a moment before speaking. “That’s one hell of a chat up line.” He poked at the inside of his cheek with his tongue, fighting a smile.

“Please go.”

“C’mon, Lily. You think you scared me away talking about canopic jars? We’re archaeologists. It’s not like we’re accountants or something. Then, I concede, that would be weird, but I can deal with some pharaoh’s heart in a jar. I live for that kind of thing,” he said, trying to coax her into turning back around.

She didn’t.

“Oh, Lily,” he said. “Oh, no. I just thought of a pun. God help us, if you don’t turn around I’m going to be forced to say it. I don’t think I can restrain myself…”

“Make it,” she said, sounding slightly amused.

“I’m sorry for what’s about to follow, but I’ll admit, this conversation was a little JARring. I’ll grant you that much. But I wouldn’t say the night was RUINed. Awkward conversations like this are just part of the artiFACTS of life. Hey! Now I’ve come up with a joke. So what does one mummy say to the other when she is disappointed? Tut, Tut, Tut…” he continued.

“No more!” she cried, spinning around with a note of reluctant laughter. “Please. Mercy. Mercy. You win.”

“See, now what you said wasn’t half as embarrassing as that!”

“God, that was awful! Why would you say those things?” she cried, moving towards him.

“I begged you to stop me,” he retorted. “Oh, I thought of another! Only you can save us now, Lily Ev—…”

She had jumped at him, pressing her lips to his and wrapping her arms around his neck. The force of her kiss knocked his glasses slightly askew, and they slipped down the bridge of his nose until she could feel them against her own face. This stupid, stupid boy… They didn’t stop though. They didn’t say anything. They just kept kissing, moving closer together until a piece of paper wouldn’t have fit between them. Finally, Lily pulled away sharply. She reached up to push his glasses back up into place, and then took several steps back.

She traced her lower lip with her index finger, gaping at him.

“What…?” he started to say.

She grinned. “You had to be stopped. At all costs.”


End file.
